This past Saturday I had the great pleasure of going to the Long Center in Austin, Texas, sitting down in the large theater surrounded by music denizens with Nintendo DS's, and witnessing the epic beauty of the Austin Symphony and Chorus Austin as they came together for Symphony of the Goddesses.
The Legend of Zelda symphony is a multimedia experience Behind the orchestra a huge screen displays scenes from the Zelda games, including a mash-up of game footage from the original The Legend of Zelda, an 8-bit beauty to all fans, to the newest releases on Nintendo 3DS of Link's Awakening and Ocarina of Time 3D.
A video game's soundtrack can enhance or diminish gameplay. The moments of suspense in a game are heightened by a crescendo of shrill strings or a boss fight is introduced alongside a booming bass tune. These sounds become a part of the entire gaming experience and fans can't separate their love of a game from the music. The Symphony of the Goddesses plays on that love and devotion by fans and goes a step further. The creators of this symphony take the music, fraught with memory for Zelda fans, and choreograph footage from the games to create an all-encompassing symphony experience. The game footage is expertly synced to the music creating continuity throughout the symphony and drawing listeners into the adventures of the Hero of Hyrule.
This was my second year to go - the symphony came through last year with different arrangements and due to popular demand came back to a sold out crowd in Austin this year. As concerts are concerned, the Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses has been an incredibly unique experience both years. I've lovingly referred to the audience as "appropriately rowdy," a phrase I have never used in conjunction with a symphony before. A large chunk of the audience comes in costume, another percentage comes in their favorite Zelda t-shirt, and the remaining lot is dressed in semi-fancy attire. As the symphony progresses, there is laughter and cheering at various parts as listeners/viewers recall their hours spent trying to defeat Ganon or the silly enjoyment they got from chasing chickens. The cheers and standing ovations at the end of the arrangements speak volumes about the beautiful way this symphony is arranged, visualized, and geared toward the love fans have for the little guy in green.
This epic musical adventure was brought to fans by Jason Micahel Paul Productions, Inc and Nintendo. All arrangements were approved by Eiji Aonuma (Nintendo franchise producer) and Koji Kondo (Nintendo composer and sound director). In other words, it was legit. The symphony was conducted by Eimear Noone, a fan of the game herself, and the 4-movement symphony was arranged by Chad Seiter (Zelda Symphony music director). To see if this is coming to a city near you, visit
Zelda Symphony.
